‘Our leaders have failed us’

Head of Research at Gold Coast Management Fund (GCMF),Samuel Ampah, has blamed successive governments for their “lack of initiatives and political will” to transform the economy.

According to him, the current economic mess the country finds itself is largely due to the blatant disregard by “our leaders of national issues” adding “we are where we are because our leaders’ attitude is nothing to write home about.”

“How can you have leaders who hardly think outside the box and expect that this economy blossoms? It will not happen, and until our leaders sit up and acknowledge the need to expand their horizons we will continue to wallow in poverty,” he asserted.

Mr. Ampah was commenting on the general outlook of the country’s economy vis-a-vis last month’s National Economic Forum held at Senchi in Akosombo in the Eastern region on Ghana, Great and Strong on internet-based radio station, www.hedjorleonlineradio.com.

The programme is hosted by Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom every Saturday from 7:00 P.M., to 8:00 PM.

The head of research at GCMF also registered his disquiet at the way and manner the economy was being run which he said, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has lost track of the governance of the country.

According to Mr. Ampah, apart from the inability of managers of the economy to improve the situation, there is also gross indiscipline in the financial sector

“Lack of fiscal discipline in the system is having a telling effect on the economy, and if measures are not put in place to halt such financial misconduct, the country will eventually find itself in a ditch,” he cautioned.

He cited Rwanda which through a dint of hard work and discipline can now boast of a robust economy with eight national airlines.

“We can equally do it. After all we are better off than Rwanda in terms of natural resources.

All that we need is for our leaders to set their priorities right and heed to the advice of the masses,” he said.

For his part, General Manager of Ghana Media Group (GMG,) Mr. Richmond Lankwei Lamptey, who was also on the programme, described the ‘Senchi Consensus’ as waste of time, money and national resources.

He noted that all that was said at the forum had already been said at a similar forum in 2002 under then Minister for Regional and Economic Planning, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom.

In the estimation of Mr. Lamptey, the problem with Ghana is about the will to implement national decisions without minding whether it will affect a party’s chances for the next general elections.

He could therefore not fathom why after political leaders are elected into office, the next thing they think of is how not to lose elections.

“Our leaders must not think about the next elections and how they are going to win, rather their focus should be on how to improve the general living conditions of the citizenry,” he said.

Dr. Nduom said he was bewildered at what he saw recently when he visited France.

According to him, he found out during his attempt to get information in France about a certain prominent person who had died about thirty years.

He said he was amazed to discover that France has well-structured system regarding information about the dead.

Dr. Nduom therefore opined that Ghana can do better with its economy if the country ensures that the system put in place works without any unnecessary interference.